Posts Tagged ‘vehicle’
Jun06
Airbus’ innovative new 3D-printed plane
2016 at 08:38 pm by admin | Comments Off
Airbus, leading aircraft manufacturer, has revealed their newest innovation: a 3D-printed airplane! The plane, called Thor, was unveiled at the International Aerospace Exhibition in Berlin, Germany, and shows off what innovations Airbus has come up with to introduce 3D printing to the manufacturing industry. The plane, which measures 13 feet long and weighing in at only 46 pounds, was designed as an affordable, easy-to-construct drone, as well as a testbed for future 3D-printing technologies that may be implemented into full-scale planes in the future. The Thor is composed of polyamide, and outside of the necessary electrical elements that allow it to fly, all of the Thor’s pieces are made from this material, such as the rotors, landing gear, and hull pieces. With the promise of alleviating air pollution and construction costs, Airbus is looking forward to the future of 3D printing in the airplane industry.
Jan20
Solar-powered aircraft plans to fly around world
2015 at 01:04 pm by admin | Comments Off
The world’s most energy-efficient aircraft is hoping to make history by completing the first ever flight around the world without using a single drop of fuel! The Solar Impulse 2 is an aircraft that runs off of the light of the sun, and is the product of years of research and innovations in clean fuel and solar panels. The upcoming event, which is slated to begin at the end of February, will send the single-seat Solar Impulse 2 on a global expedition, traveling nearly 21,800 miles over the span of 5 months. The plane will stay in the air for a duration of 25 days, and will land at 12 different locations for maintenance. The co-founders of the Solar Impulse 2, Betrand Piccard and André Borschberg, hope that the flight will not only break records, but will also raise awareness and support for clean technology. As for the flight itself, the Solar Impulse 2 will launch from Abu Dhabi and land in several countries around the world, including three stops in the United States!
Jan07
Mercedes-Benz’s self-driving car at CES 2015
2015 at 04:50 pm by admin | Comments Off
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a convention in Las Vegas in which inventors and companies big and small can show off planned releases and prototypes for the future of technology. Automobile company Mercedes-Benz, hoping to lead the world into a new future of driving, unveiled their newest vehicle by driving it up the Las Vegas Strip to the convention hall, only to reveal that the car was driving itself. The new Mercedes-Benz F015 Luxury in Motion, sporting a sleek silver look fitting of a futuristic car prototype, is the company’s first fully autonomous vehicle.
The F015 uses an innovative interior designed around a carriage-based concept, and features fully rotating seats that allow users to face each other directly while the car is in self-driving mode. The interior also features a number of touch-screen panels and screen throughout the vehicle, and can even project an image of what’s in front of the car to passengers through these screens, allowing users to monitor the road at all times. The F015 can be switched between autonomous mode and manual mode, and uses LED-studded bumpers on the car to let fellow drivers know which mode the vehicle is in. The vehicle is even designed to sense pedestrians, and will stop and project an image to signal to people outside of the vehicle that it is safe to cross.
On top of that, the F015 is emission-free! The car runs off of a fuel cell that creates electricity through the combination of hydrogen and oxygen, and uses innovative cylinders within the vehicle that keep the hydrogen components safe, even in the event of an accident. Clearing this hurdle was a major step in making this emission-free vehicle safe for the road. The car is currently designed to run for 550 miles off of its hydrogen fuel cells, and an added 125 miles off of its internal batteries. Unfortunately, the F015 is not slated to be available to consumers until around 2030, making the Mercedes-Benz F015 a look into the distant future of vehicular transportation.
Oct30
Flying car takes to the skies
2014 at 11:16 am by admin | Comments Off
Auto company AeroMobil has been working on prototypes for flying cars since the 1990s, with advances in technology and new prototypes bringing their dream vehicle closer and closer to reality. Now, the company has unveiled their latest prototype, the AeroMobil 3.0, which is finally ready to take to the skies! The vehicle debuted on October 29th at the 2014 Pioneers Festival in Vienna, Austria, and has taken several test drives and flights, as seen in the video below.
This newest prototype was built in 10 months, using high quality composite materials in this chassis, and includes avionics equipment, parachute deployment systems, autopilot, and more. The car itself features retractable wings and two seats for a passenger, and is capable of reaching 100 mph on the road, as well as 124 mph in the air. With the AeroMobil 3.0, the designers hope to gain certification for use on European roads and airspace, and will continue fine-tuning specifications to make the vehicle ready for retail in the near future. Flying cars have been a fantasy for people across the world since the invention of the car and the plane, and now we’re closer than ever to see that dream become a reality!
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